Libya rebels breach Brega: military

Libya’s rebels said a light mobile force had breached the strategically vital oil town of Brega late Friday, before pulling back in anticipation of a renewed offensive at daybreak.
Mohammed Zawi, a spokesman for the rebel army, told AFP a group of reconnaissance troops had entered the city from the north, then pulled back four kilometres before midnight (22:00 GMT).
The probing raid deep into Kadhafi-held territory came around 32 hours after the rebel command launched a three-pronged attack to wrest control of the town back from Moamer Kadhafi’s troops.
While the rebels’ forward position to the north was four kilometres from the town centre, a second unit attacking from due east of Brega faced stiffer resistance and was about 10-20 kilometres from the town.
“Most of Kadhafi’s troops seem to be at the centre,” said Zawi.
To the south of the town, where the rebels had made initial gains but suffered large numbers of casualties, Kadhafi forces had pushed back harder.
With fighting in the dusty desert terrain difficult, Zawi said he expeced fighters on both sides to dig in for the night.
Rebels were also trying to dispose of more than 100 landmines placed around the town.
“Tomorrow we can take Brega, God willing,” he said.